Irish Indians? Ogam Alphabet

It has long been debated whether Christopher Columbus or Leif Eriksson was the first European explorer to discover America. But it's beginning to look as though this debate is beside the point.

One surprising clue is found in inscriptions in West Virginia. These inscriptions are in a language called Ogam - "Celtic Tree Alphabet". Ogam is a written, alphabetical language in which the orientation of vertical and angled lines to a central horizontal line determines each character. The inscriptions were made sometime between the early sixth and late eighth centuries A.D., almost a thousand years before Columbus.

The form of Ogam writing used in the inscriptions found in West Virginia was developed by the ancient Irish Celts. How did ancient Celtic writing find its way into West Virginia only six or seven centuries after Christ? The answer may be in the inscriptions.

Each inscription offers a Christian message! One reads: "The season of the blessed advent of the Savior, Lord Christ." It has been suggested that the writers were Irish monks who, in obedience to the Great Commission, set off to make disciples of the American Indians.

In previous programs we have looked at some evidence that people in the Old World commonly had knowledge of the New World before the Dark Ages. We are also planning more such programs. These inscriptions may easily be a sign of Christian missionary work in the New World.

References: "Ogam Inscriptions in West Virginia?" Science Frontiers, William Corliss, p.31; Creation Moments 2008

2009 Christian Nature

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…Matthew 28:19

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Even Rove Beetles Need Three Jobs!

Need three jobs just to make ends meet? So do rove beetles!

Rove beetles are found in the rain forests of Costa Rica and have three different ways of making a living. Their largest prey are the blow flies that frequent animal dung. The beetles wait on the dung for a blowfly to land, then stalk their prey with the skill of a cat. They can even capture their prey in the air if it tries to escape.

But dung doesn't last long in the rain forest, because dung beetles quickly haul it off. So, as a second career, rove beetles also frequent corpses of dead animals. These are blowfly favorites, so rove beetles can make a good living on these, too. But the rain forest has many creatures that clean up after a corpse, so they don't last long on the forest floor either. The rove beetle thus needs a third career.

That third career is carried out on leaves. Flies have little incentive to visit leaves. So the rove beetle has a special strategy to succeed in its third career. First, it positions itself on the leaf so that it looks like an innocent bird dropping. but smells like ripe and rotting fruit. This attracts fruit flies, which will approach the rove beetle unaware until it is snatched for lunch.

While the rove beetle and its way of life are not attractive to us, it is an important part of the cleanup crew in the rain forest. It, too, is part of God's design to make His complex Creation work.

References: "Masters of Deception," Natural History, 11/94, pp.18-23; Creation Moments 2008

2009 Christian Nature

And God made… everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25

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Is The Human As Good As It Gets?

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18

Are we, as human beings, as good as it gets? According to several influential evolutionary scientists, human beings are as good as it gets, and evolution has stopped for us. Some dispute this, saying that human evolution is still happening, but it's invisible. HUH? Although none of this sounds very much like science, such claims have fueled new debate among evolutionists.

These debates are puzzling, considering man's supposed evolutionary history. According to evolution, modern man evolved in a blink of evolutionary history from some ape-like creature. As we have pointed out many times, if evolution and its time scales were true, virtually every generation of our ancestors would have had to have evolved improvements over the last generation. Why would evolution have stopped so suddenly? Has modern medicine, which saves even the weak, stopped evolution? Mutations are also decreasing among us, they point out. In the primitive past, women had children throughout their reproductive life. Older women give birth to children with more mutations. But today, women have their children when young, then stop reproducing.

The claim that we are as good as it gets reveals the pride of earthly thinking inherent in evolution. In truth, we can only be as good as we can get through the forgiveness of sins that comes by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ.

References: "Are we the best our species will get?" Toronto Star, 12/26/99, p.J7; Creation Moments 2008

2009 Christian Nature

O God, You have taught me from my youth; and to this day I declare Your wondrous works. Psalm 71:17

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Evolution of Bats Questioned

It has been noted many times the different ways in which bats defy evolutionary explanations. For their echolocation systems to evolve, bats had to develop simultaneously the ability to make high-pitched sounds, hear those sounds, and figure out what they mean. How did they eat before they evolved these abilities?

Then there is the problem of evolving typical mammalian forearms into bat wings without crippling the creature in the process. Even evolutionists admit that the evolution of all these features even once is highly unlikely.

Bats are divided into two sub-orders. Smaller bats, like the free-tail bats of Mexico, are classified in the sub-order of Microchiroptera. Large bats, like the fruit bat, are classified into the sub-order of Megachiroptera. The brains of the larger bats have very different visual pathways than those in smaller bats. The visual pathways of the larger bats are more like those of primates! But no evolutionist would dare suggest that they evolved from primates.

The second complication is that this means that both small and large bats could not have evolved from a common ancestor. It further means that all the unlikely features of bats had to have evolved at least twice, if evolution were true.

The Bible offers a simple explanation for the design of the bat and the differences between their brains. They were made by God using whatever designs He knew would be best for that creature's way of life, without regard for later, humanly devised classification systems.

References: "Bats: Sophistication in Miniature," Creation, 12/98-2/99, pp.28-31; Creation Moments 2008

2009 Christian Nature

By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. Psalm 33:6

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Stinking Poison Bird - Pitohuis

The hooded pitohuis is an evil-smelling, blue jay-sized bird that is native to New Guinea. The bird has been known to science since 1827, but they held a secret that only began to be uncovered in 1989.

An American graduate student made the discovery while studying another local bird – the bird of paradise. Unfortunately, hooded pitohuis kept getting caught in his nets. As he released the unwanted pitohuis, they would claw and peck at him. After he released the birds, he licked the wounds they had caused. As a result, his mouth began to burn and finally became numb for several hours.

This led the graduate student to send dead hooded pitohuis to the National Institutes of Health for further study. The poison they produce was finally identified as one of the most poisonous substances known. It is hundreds of times more poisonous than strychnine. The amount of poison in one bird can kill 500 mice. Most amazing is that only one other creature produces the same poison, the poison dart frog of Central America.

Those who believe in evolution maintain that the ability to produce the poison must have evolved twice. But it's not that simple. Not only do both bird and frog, half a world apart, have to evolve this unlikely ability twice, but they both had to evolve immunity to their own poison.

Ultimately, evolution is a faith. It is a faith that is poisonous to Christianity because it makes death natural rather than a result of the first Adam's sin. And without the fact of the first Adam, there is no need for the Second Adam, Jesus Christ.

References: Natural History, 2/94, pp.4 8, Creation Moments 2008

2009 Christian Nature

But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren. Acts 14:2

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Think on These Things...

Did you know that there is a difference between your mind (psuche, Greek and nephesh, Hebrew) and your brain (soma, Greek)? The brain is what the mind thinks with.

The relationship of the mind and the brain is very similar to the relationship of a pianist and a piano. The piano is the brain and the pianist is the mind. The most dangerous thing in the world is a person with a bad mind and a good brain. He/she is a dangerous human!

When you get saved, you don’t get a new brain. You get a new mind (also known as your heart). And the god of this world will do all he can to distort your mind. Why? Because Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”

Dwell today, especially today, on the true, the honest, the just, the pure, the lovely—think on virtue and praise. Pray for missionaries serving the Lord in other countries – that they will dwell on the truths of the Lord and that their walks will be strong and undeterred from the Lord’s mission.

2009 Christian Nature

Philippians 4:8 - “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

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Kangaroos HAVE to Hop!

Those who believe that all living things are the product of millions of years of evolution tell us that living things develop features that aid their survival. They are quick to point out how some unusual feature of a plant or animal aids in its survival. That's why it's noteworthy that evolutionists cannot explain why kangaroos hop.

The kangaroo has several special designs built into it that make hopping its most efficient form of transportation. For example, every time it hits the ground, 70 percent of the kangaroo's downward energy is stored in its tendons to be released for the next hop. By contrast, a running human only stores 20 percent of this energy.

Also, kangaroos are designed in such a way that it is actually easier for them to breathe when hopping than when standing still. With each hop, the kangaroo's organs move within its body, pushing air out of its lungs. It uses its muscles only to inhale. Add all these features together and the faster a kangaroo goes, the less energy it uses for the same distance!

If the kangaroo didn't have these special designs, hopping wouldn't be an advantage to it. At the same time, if the kangaroo originally didn't hop, its special design features would be of no value. In other words, the kangaroo is a complete package of special designs that had to come into existence all at the same time … just as it left the hands of a wise Creator.

References: "Kangaroos: God's amazing craftsmanship," Creation, 6 8/98, pp.28-31; Creation Moments 2008

2009 Christian Nature

Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders and the judgments of His mouth…1 Chronicles 16:12

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CoFusion of Steel - Ancient or Modern?

The ages of human history are frequently divided into periods named after rocks and minerals. There was the Stone Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. This evolutionary way of describing human history is based on the materials people used to make weapons and tools. On the other hand, the Bible describes man as developing his knowledge of metalworking within a few generations of his existence.

Researchers in 2000 were studying an ancient steel factory in Turkmenistan. The 1,000-year-old steel factory produced the legendary Damascus steel, which was the strongest and most durable steel produced in ancient times. When the factory was operating, steel was heated to temperatures up to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit.

Researchers examined the pottery shards that are the remains of the crucible. They found traces of the steel they once held on the shards that told an amazing story. Some of the shards had traces of low carbon steel, while others had traces of high carbon steel. They concluded that the ancient steel makers were mixing the two together in a process called co fusion. The result was a strong, durable steel. What is amazing is that it was previously thought that co fusion was discovered in the 20th century!

While our knowledge may be growing today, we need to avoid false pride. The Bible teaches that the highest knowledge is the knowledge of God.

References: "Medieval Metal Masters," Discover, 1/00, pp.20-21, Creation Moments 2008

2009 Christian Nature

…the coastlands will wait upon Me, and on My arm they will trust. Isaiah 51:5b

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Scientists Admit Earth's Atmosphere is Outside Earth

"So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. God called the expanse sky." -Genesis 1:7-8

(United Kingdom)—The gases which formed the Earth's atmosphere—and probably its oceans—did not come from inside the Earth but from outer space, according to a study by University of Manchester and University of Houston scientists.

The report published this week in the prestigious international journal Science means that textbook images of ancient Earth with huge volcanoes spewing gas into the atmosphere will have to be rethought.

According to the team, the age-old view that volcanoes were the source of the Earth's earliest atmosphere must be put to rest. Using world-leading analytical techniques, the team of Dr Greg Holland, Dr Martin Cassidy and Professor Chris Ballentine tested volcanic gases to uncover the new evidence. The research was funded by Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).

"We found a clear meteorite signature in volcanic gases," said Dr Greg Holland the project's lead scientist. "From that we now know that the volcanic gases could not have contributed in any significant way to the Earth's atmosphere. Therefore the atmosphere and oceans must have come from somewhere else, possibly from a late bombardment of gas and water rich materials similar to comets. Until now, no one has had instruments capable of looking for these subtle signatures in samples from inside the Earth—but now we can do exactly that."

The techniques enabled the team to measure tiny quantities of the unreactive volcanic trace gases Krypton and Xenon, which revealed an isotopic 'fingerprint' matching that of meteorites which is different from that of 'solar' gases.

The study is also the first to establish the precise composition of the Krypton present in the Earth's mantle.

Project director Prof Chris Ballentine of The University of Manchester, said: "Many people have seen artist's impressions of the primordial Earth with huge volcanoes in the background spewing gas to form the atmosphere.

"We will now have to redraw this picture."

Source: EurekAlert

2009 Christian Naure

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True Law of the Jungle Is Cooperation

According to evolution, biological history is one of "red in tooth and claw." In this view, living things compete with one another. The fittest survive at the expense of the less fit. In a forest, this means that trees compete with one another for light, water and nutrients. Taller trees benefit from the light they prevent shorter trees from receiving. But as it turns out, the true law of the jungle is cooperation.

What goes on beneath the forest floor is essential to the forest itself. Tree roots gather water and nutrients from the soil. In addition, fungi live among the roots, feeding off the sap and other carbon compounds produced by the tree. In return, the fungi help make nutrients in the soil available to the tree. The picture of cooperation goes even further than this.

Researchers have learned that the trees themselves cooperate with one another. This cooperation even exists between species. Researchers shaded some trees, leaving others in the sun. Tagging trees with different isotopes of carbon, scientists were surprised to find carbon compounds made by the sunbathed trees present in the shaded tree! The trees that were doing well were helping the trees that were not able to photosynthesize, even if they were a different species.

The true law of the jungle turns out to be cooperation. Rather than survival of the fittest, this cooperation between living things reveals a carefully designed creation made by a loving Creator.

References: "Sylvan Symphony," Creation, p.56, Creation Moments 2008

2009 Christian Nature

So we may boldly say: 'The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?' Hebrews 13:6

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God's Tree - The Christmas Tree

The custom of Christmas trees originated in Germany during the seventh century when the triangular outline of a fir tree was used to illustrate the Holy Trinity.

Five centuries later the fir had replaced the oak as "God's tree" and was hung upside down in houses during the festive season.

When St. Boniface (an English monk) took the Christmas tree to Germany, Martin Luther showed how candles in trees shined like stars in the night sky; a concept that (along with tinsel) was introduced to Britain by the German-born Georgian Kings.

In 1848 Prince Albert and Queen Victoria were pictured in front of their sumptuously decorated tree (now right side up) in London Illustrated News, setting a fashion throughout Britain and the United States. The fire risk from the lighted candles was considerable and not eased by the introduction of electric lights.

Finally, Albert Saddaca invented Christmas safety lights following a tragedy in New York in 1917.

2009 Christian Nature

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Most Beautiful Mountain in the World

Although my own mountain-climbing days are over, I have friends who set aside four weeks every year to climb very difficult mountains. None of them, so far, have gone to Peru to climb "The Most Beautiful Mountain in the World," but I suspect it will happen.


Alpamayo is one of the most conspicuous peaks in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range of the Peruvian Andes. In a Global Survey of Scenic Beauty held in Munich, Germany in 1966, Alpamayo was chosen as the "Most Beautiful Mountain in the World."

Its name comes from Quechua Allpa = earth, Mayu = river: muddy river. It is the obsession of many mountaineers.

It is a steep (sixty degrees, 6120 m.), almost-perfect pyramid of ice. Although smaller than many of its neighboring peaks, it is distinguished by its unusual formation and overwhelming beauty. It actually has two sharp summits, North and South, separated by a narrowly-corniced ridge.

A French-Belgian expedition claimed to have made the first ascent in 1951. The most common ascending path, known as the Ferrari route, is situated on the southwest face of the mountain. It was opened in 1975 by a group of Italian alpinists. It is considered a difficult climb, demanding good crampon and axe technique.

There is no doubt in my mind that Alpamayo is still "The Most Beautiful Mountain in the World"!

2009 Christian Nature

(Please note: This is a nature blog, not a science blog. The name of this blog is Christian Nature. Notice "Christian" is the first word and "Nature" is the second.)

I am not a pantheist. In pantheism the Universe (Nature) and God are equivalent. I am a Bible-believing Christian who believes God is the Creator of nature. When He created humans He placed them into nature. It was called "The Garden of Eden."

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How God Provided for the Bolivian Potato

The Peruvian Andes gave the world the potato, which is one of the largest crops in the world today. The problem is, the modern potato is plagued by potato beetles and aphids, which also carry some viral diseases to the plant. Now a wild potato found in the Bolivian Andes is being studied because it seems to be quite resistant to these pests.

The Bolivian potato defends itself using tiny hairs on its leaves called trichomes. There are roughly the same number of tall and short trichomes on the leaves, and they work together to provide a complete defense system for the plant. The hairs are so closely spaced that even a tiny aphid cannot avoid them. The end of each hair has a sack filled with defense chemicals. The short trichomes release their chemicals only when disturbed. The longer trichomes continuously release their chemicals.

When an aphid gets on a leaf, its legs cannot avoid coming in contact with the sticky fluid the short trichomes release. To make certain that the aphid collects enough of the sticky stuff, the plant also releases a chemical that agitates the aphid. This gooey liquid finally sets up into a hard mass, leaving the aphid to starve. It also appears that a scent emitted by one of the trichomes makes the leaves completely distasteful to potato beetles.

Isn't it cool how God provided for the protection of this potato?

References: Bombardier Beetles and Fever Trees

2009 Christian Nature

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. Psalm 91:3

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Marigolds Cure for Blindness?

Retired Optician Claims Marigolds Cured Him of Blindness

"I have recovered 95 per cent of the sight in my left eye which is miraculous, considering that at one point I was literally blind..."

(United Kingdom)—Having lost most of his vision to dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), 73-year-old Harry Marsland, a retired optician, had tried everything, including experimental laser treatment, photo dynamic therapy, and various vitamin preparations, to no avail.

Then, in 2007, his ophthalmologist gave him a leaflet he had picked up at a conference, extolling the benefits of a supplement containing marigolds—called Macushield. (Photo: Telegraph UK)

Now, having regained his sight after taking the supplement for just a few months, Marsland says: "I have recovered 95 per cent of the sight in my left eye which is miraculous, considering that at one point I was literally blind...As a retired professional, I feel a responsibility to get this message across to as many people as possible."

According to a Telegraph UK report, Macushield contains lutein, found in spinach, and zeaxanthin, the yellow pigment found in corn—both of which are used in other treatments. It also contains meso-zeaxanthin, derived from marigolds.

Source: Murray Wardrop - The Telegraph U.K.

Teresa Neumann, Breaking Christian News: Rewriter

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Look At Those Eyes!

The sea holds some of God's most creatively designed living things. Just as on land, the variety of creatures in the sea was much greater in the past. One good example of this is an extinct sea-going-reptile known as Ophthalmosaurus. A full-grown Ophthalmosaurus was about 12-feet-long and shaped like a dolphin. What made it unusual were its eyes. They were each about the size of a dinner plate or a whole pie.

Scientists estimate that Ophthalmosaurus could see its prey clearly even in the dim light that is available 1,600 feet below the surface. Based on its body structure, Ophthalmosaurus appears to have been a strong swimmer. Adding these facts together, scientists concluded that Ophthalmosaurus regularly swam deep in the sea to find prey or avoid predators. This led researchers to examine Ophthalmosaurus' bones more closely.

When a diver rises to the surface too quickly, the nitrogen dissolved in his blood forms bubbles that can block circulation and destroy tissue. Scientists wanted to know if Ophthalmosaurus also suffered from this condition, known as the "bends." They searched for and found depressions in the joints typical of the bends.

While God's creation was initially perfect in every way, Adam's sin introduced imperfection and suffering. Even Ophthalmosaurus, deep in the sea, suffered because of human sin. Thankfully, God has given us a solution for human evil in His Son, Jesus Christ.

References: "My, What Big Eyes You Have," Discover, 1/00, p.28 Creation Moments 2008

2009 Christian Nature

For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Romans 8:22

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Stengthen Your Wings

A man watched a butterfly trying to emerge from a cocoon. Thinking that he would help, the man took his pen knife and slit the side of the cocoon, and the butterfly flopped out. It lay there for a while, feebly beating its wings, then collapsed and died.

“How tragic,” you say, and you are right because God had a plan for that butterfly. The struggle to break free built the strength he would need to fly. God doesn’t want you to live weakly and to die feebly. He wants you to grow and mature.

Find the wings in your own trial today. Strengthen them by the promises in God’s Word and venture onto new heights of freedom in Christ today.

2009 Christian Nature, as taught by the late Adrian Rogers

2 Corinthians 8:2 - How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.

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Solomon's City and Hazor History Verified

Secular archaeologists usually assume that the historical statements found in Scripture are overstatements or simply incorrect. It was with this attitude that archaeologists approached the ruins of Hazor to see if they could tell whether Solomon actually did add to the wall of Hazor and build other structures there, as the Bible says. Hazor was an important city on the primary military and trade routes between Israel and Phoenicia, Syria, Mesopotamia and Egypt.

Hazor had been destroyed by Joshua when Israel took possession of the Promised Land. Over the following centuries, the site began to be inhabited by Israelites. By Solomon's time, the city reached a size of about 10 acres and was home to between 800 and 1,000 people.

Archaeologists found that sometime during the reign of Solomon, the city wall was expanded, doubling the size. Other buildings also were added at this time. Excavations show that at Solomon's time the city was prosperous. The city's six chambered gate is typical of the gates Israel built at this time.

Gates of the same design also exist at Megiddo and Gezer, two other cities named as being fortified by Solomon, according to the same verse that mentions the fortification of Hazor!

Again, the Bible has been vindicated as presenting accurate history. We can be equally sure that the Bible's account of creation is accurate because the Bible is God's Word.

References: "Solomon's City Rises from the Ashes," Biblical Archaeology Review, 3 4/99 Creation Moments 2008

2009 Christian Nature

And this is the reason for the labor force which King Solomon raised: to build the wall of Jerusalem, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. 1 Kings 9:15

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Southern California Has Snow!

I realize snow is common in the winter, but usually not in Southern California. So this week has been a big deal to be blanketed with beautiful snow.

I live in a mountainous small town that still has a bright red depot, and we are all abuzz about this strange phenomena! I can stand in my kitchen and look out of the window at mountains all around me that look far more beautiful than this newspaper article can relay. I haven't seen this much snow since I was a child in Silver City, NM! Oh, wait... there were those two years spent in Iowa. Now that was a snowy experience! We had to leave the car running all night just to make sure we could make it to work the next morning!



Winter has very few redeeming qualities. Many animals find that the best thing to do is simply sleep through it. Studies show that human beings sleep more during the winter months as well. One of the few redeeming qualities of winter is snow. There are few things more magical then looking out the window from your house and discovering those first flurries gently falling to the ground. When the snow builds up outside our houses it envelops us in a warm cocoon. The time has come to put on your warm slippers, a cozy blanket, and curl up with some hot chocolate.

I can hardly believe the beauty of today! Oh, Lord, thank You for the beautiful snow!

2009 Christian Nature

Author, Lecturer & Columnist April Lorier. Founder & Director Emeritis of C.O.P.E. Inc. Her testimony before the Calif. State Legislature helped with the passage of The Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect Law in 1974. Her latest book, available at AMAZON, is God's Battered Child: From Abuse to Leadership.

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That Misbehaving Algae!

One wouldn't think that algae would be very interesting. We've all seen the stuff wherever there is water. But researchers have recently discovered an algae that would make a good star in a horror movie. The algae known as Caulerpa taxifolia was first seen in 1984 off the coast of Monaco. It covered only about a square yard of sea bottom, but it covered it completely, smothering all other plants.

Only six years later, it had reached French waters. Four years after that, it had reached Spanish waters. It can grow on mud, rock or sand, and wherever it invades, it chokes out all other plants. A square yard of the algae can contain 700 feet of "stems" and 500 fronds!

Ordinary members of this algae species grow only about ten inches high. But this algae is huge and can have a "stem" that is nine feet long, with 200 fronds dangling from it. Moreover, each complete plant is a single cell. This could be the largest plant cell ever!

Cutting it won't control it, because even a tiny bit of it will grow into a new plant. Researchers think that the original parent developed in an aquarium because all of these algae found so far turn out to be male. If true, this algae could become a classic example of how man has ignorantly modified the balance of God's well designed creation to his own harm as well as to the harm of other creatures.

That balanced inter relationship between creatures is a witness to God's wise design.

References: Janet Raloff, "Rogue Algae," Science News, v.154, July 4, 1998, p.8 Creation Moments 2008

2009 Christian Nature

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it…Genesis 1:28a

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Iguanas Change Body Sizes According to Food Supply

What do you do when food resources are scarcer than normal for an extended period of time? People not getting enough nutrition lose weight and eventually muscle mass. It would really make more sense to proportionately shrink your body size. After all, children require fewer calories than adults. It appears that this is just what marine iguanas and perhaps some other reptiles actually do.

Researchers studying the marine iguanas of the Galapagos Islands found that sometimes individuals appeared to get smaller. For 18 years they simply blamed measurement error. Then one of the scientists studied the 18-year record of measurements and realized that something was really happening.

During an El Niño weather pattern, when the algal beds offered less food for the iguanas, individuals shrank in size. In addition, the largest males showed the greatest amount of shrinking.

If connective tissue alone was shrinking, the iguanas would only shrink by ten percent. But large males were shrinking by as much as 20 percent during a two-year-long El Niño. This means that even their bones must shrink! More research showed that the more an individual shrank, the better its chance of survival.

Iguanas need only concern themselves with survival in this life. As human beings, we need to be concerned about the next life as well. We can thank God that He has provided eternal life for us through Jesus Christ.

References: "Famine reveals incredible shrinking iguanas," Science News, 1/8/00, pp.20-21 Creation Moments 2008

2009 Christian Nature

Thus says the LORD: 'The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to give him rest.' Jeremiah 31:2

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Spiritual Truths Through Plants and Flowers

I owned a horticulture corporation for 25 years, plus I live in beautiful Southern California where almost anything blossoms. As a result, God has had opportunity to teach me numerous spiritual truths through plants and flowers.

For example, He taught me the value of patience through Impatiens. I am just like other people - I have a real problem with wanting it now!

He taught me there was eternal value in what I had to endure as a child and teen, and I wrote my autobiography in a poem I wrote about the Broken Rose. What woman doesn't appreciate potpourri? It made me understand He had a different plan and purpose for my life than He did for my sister and others.

He taught me about the futility of fear through my hothouse Azaleas, and gave me courage to get out into reality knowing He was with me as He had promised He would be. I was coaxed out of the hothouse of my own making.

God taught me to look for weeds in my own heart before trying to find them in the lives of others. Now that was a valuable lesson!

He helped me grieve change as I dealt with the loss of flower fields in the city of Lompoc. I never have liked change.

He showed me how fleeting and self-seeking outer beauty was, as opposed to inner beauty that never fades and embraces others with His love.

I learned the value of nature, knowing God put the first man and woman in The Garden of Eden. Bougainvilleas, or my love for them, taught me how to de-stress and allow myself to feel His Presence and pleasure in me, His daughter. He was always feeding my soul through His imprints of Himself in nature.

He communicated His love for me through the dew-covered Sunflower, early one morning, and reminded me of the importance of keeping my eyes upon Him at all times. Without Him there is no hope in this world. Have you ever noticed how the Sunflower keeps turning so that it faces the sun? What an example of how every Christian should live!

And He solidified my knowledge of a spiritual conversion as I learned about the beautiful rare orchids. Even orchids need a conversion!

I was reminded of all the unsung heroes out there through my customer's choice of a large Ficus Benjamina. They receive no accolades, and yet they are society's most valuable asset.

There is nothing like getting your hands dirty in healthy soil, planting a seed and not digging it up before He has time to root and spout into a precious baby plant - He is the Perfecter of all seeds.

Many of the parables Jesus told were about soil, seeds, plants and other basic elements known to the people around Him. It has been the same with me, and I am eternally grateful to Him for the profound Truths He has taught me.

2009 Christian Nature

And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. Genesis 1:11

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The Poisonous Plant and Insects Who Eat It

St. John's-wort or Klamath weed is not native to North America. Until it was brought from Europe in colonial times, North American insects had never seen the plant. St. John's-wort quickly spread because it was poisonous and thus not eaten by most insects. The plant manufactures a poison called hypericin that is activated by light. This poison is powerful enough to kill even livestock that might be foolish enough to eat it.

But there are several types of insects that not only eat St. John's-wort, but thrive on it. Some beetles, larvae of moths and butterflies and leaf miners munch happily away on the plant.

No, they're not immune to the poison. Instead, they have figured out how to prevent light from activating the poison. The leaf miners chew tunnels inside the leaves, staying out of direct sunlight. The moth and butterfly larvae use a similar approach. Some even tunnel inside the stem. A European beetle and its larvae also eat the plant.

Adult European Beetles have a thick shell that shelters their bodies from the light. Their larvae eat St. John's-wort only at night, and then, before the sun comes up, they burrow into the ground.

If evolution were true, these insects would have had only a few centuries to identify how the poison works and evolve a counter to it. It clearly makes more scientific sense to conclude that God taught these creatures what they needed to know to eat St. John's-wort without harm.

References: Bombardier Beetles and Fever Trees

2009 Christian Nature


O God, You have taught me from my youth; and to this day I declare Your wondrous works. Psalm 71:17

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Old Bristlecone Pine Tree Known as 'Methuselah'

The oldest living organism known is a Bristlecone Pine Tree nicknamed Methuselah (after Methuselah, the longest-lived person in the Bible). Methuselah is located in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains of eastern California, however its precise location is undisclosed by the U.S. Forest Service to protect the tree from vandalism. The age of Methuselah was measured by core samples in 1957 to be 4,789 years old.

It speaks volumes to me when I consider how many high-wind storms this tree has survived, how many storms of life it has been victorious over. Oh, not that it is not scarred, but it has survived.

John Muir, noted naturalist said:

It has been said that trees are imperfect men, and seem to bemoan their imprisonment rooted in the ground. But they never seem so to me. I never saw a discontented tree. They grip the ground as though they liked it, and though fast-rooted, they travel about as far as we do. They go wandering forth in all directions with every wind, going and coming like ourselves, traveling with us around the sun two million miles a day, and through space heaven knows how fast and far!

This reminds me of what Paul said in 2 Corinthians - he had learned to be content in all of his situations. Contentment comes from The Holy Spirit.

In 2 Corinthians 12:6-8 Paul talked of how God had favored him with supernatural visions and knowledge, but at the same time, God had not removed the "thorn in his flesh" to keep Paul from elevating himself (as Lucifer tried to do). God told him My grace is sufficient for you.

Of course, men through the years have speculated on what that humbling "thorn in the flesh" was, but no one really knows. Whatever it was, God gave him the strength to endure it through ghastly life experiences.

Maybe this is why I am taught so easily through the study of trees. I relate to them. My life has not been easy, and it has put me in the position of running to the God of All Power. He never explains WHY He does what He does, He just does it in my life. I guess that is what the faith walk is all about. Just trusting in Him, no matter what my circumstances.

For an unbelievably beautiful slide how of Ancient Bristlecone Tree Pictures by Phillip Colla, click on the link.


2009 Christian Nature

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Spicy Sweet BAT Cologne?

When a young man prepares himself to meet his young lady, he slaps on a little cologne, hoping to please her. It turns out that the males of at least some species of bats do the same thing.

Researchers have recently discovered how a small North American tropical bat prepares to attract and keep his harem of up to eight females. In late afternoon the bat begins a ritual that takes more than half an hour to complete.

The bat starts by licking scent sacs in its wings. Then it gathers secretions, including urine, from various parts of its body, depositing each secretion on its wing sacs. Despite what you might imagine, the resulting odor is sweet and spicy.

Once he is finished primping, the bat goes to his harem and hovers above them like a hummingbird. The bat can hover for up to 15 seconds. As he hovers, he flaps his wings hard enough to disturb nearby leaves, and he chirps at each female. At the same time, his frantic flapping distributes his special scent. The females respond to the scent by chirping back at him. Males will also spread their scent around, hoping to attract more females to their harems.

Researchers think this behavior is more than just ritual. They point out that the complex mix of scents in urine can indicate whether a creature is in good health. For example, female mice will not respond to males whose urine indicates that they are ill.

Many creatures communicate through scent. Scripture even speaks of our prayers as rising to God as sweet-smelling incense. But only the cleansing blood of Christ can sweeten us before God.

References: "Male bats primp daily for odor display," Science News, 1/1/00, p.7 Creation Moments 2008

2009 Christian Nature

Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Psalm 141:2

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Australian Dinosaurs Legend Distorted?

If the biblical account of history is true, then man and dinosaurs lived at the same time. Some believe that this accounts for the almost universal legends of dragons. In many parts of the world, these legends were passed orally from generation to generation. Unfortunately, it takes only a few hundred years for such legends to become distorted. America was already a country when Europeans got around to settling in Australia. There they found that the local Aborigines had oral accounts of monsters. The Aboriginal people insisted these were real flesh-and-blood creatures.

Aborigines in the northern and eastern parts of Australia tell of the burrunjor. Their descriptions matched that of the allosaurus. As late as 1961 in this part of Australia a tracker reported a bipedal reptile 25 feet long. Aborigines in central Australia tell of the kulta, which is described very much like a diplodocus or apatosaurus. Like these dinosaurs, kulta lived in swamps and ate plants. Cave drawings in northern Australia depict similar creatures. Aborigines refused to settle on Lake Galilee in western Queensland because a monster lived in the lake. This creature, which they called a bunyip, sounds like a plesiosaur.

The fact that the Aboriginal descriptions so accurately match dinosaurs known to the rest of the world show that these are recent memories – exactly what we would expect if the biblical history is accurate.

References: "Australia's aborigines ... did they see dinosaurs?" Creation, 12/98 2/99, p.27 Creation Moments 2008

2009 Christian Nature

… you are like a monster in the seas, bursting forth in your rivers, troubling the waters with your feet, and fouling their rivers. Ezekiel 32:2b

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Overwatering and Spiritual Root Rot

In my enthusiasm for care giving, I over-watered and over-fed this plant. Now it's dead. As a horticulturist, I declare it died of "root-rot." As I think about it more, however, I decide to look at it another way. Unable to put to use all of the food and water I poured into the soil, the poor plant died of "obesity."

Day after day, I pour principles and truths into my mind, and how much of it do I actually use? I read about forgiveness, and intellectually I understand the principle. I even agree with it. Then a friend stands me up, a family member is insensitive, or a rude driver cuts me off on the freeway, and what is my first response? Painful childhood memories invade my mind, and instinctively I react in a way that doesnt glorify You.

It is frightening, Lord, to realize that You will hold me responsible for all the principles and truths I cram into my mind as I try to gain knowledge of Your ways. Like Your Parable of the Talent teaches, You expect me to use what I'm being taught. It is one thing to hear You, quite another to obey You. In fact, Judaism teaches that one does not know a truth until one has put it to use. Do then know.

I've discovered that I don't really know anything that I've not put to use. It is in doing the principle that I learn. Until then, I am nothing more than a "spiritual glutton," feeding myself more than I can use in my daily walk with You.

Lord, I don't want to stand before You as a "spiritual glutton." I don't want tons of head knowledge, but no heart knowledge because I have not been a doer. Help me be a doer o f Your Word, and not a hearer only. Save me from "spiritual root-rot.

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." James 1:22 NIV

2009 Christian Nature

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Is The Earth Billions of Years Old? Rocks Say NO!

Do you believe the earth is millions or billions of years old? I don't. One of the factors in my belief are rocks.

One of the common methods of finding the age of rocks, and ultimately the age of the Earth, measures the decay of radioactive uranium into lead – the more lead, the older the rock. The method, however, makes some very big assumptions. First, scientists assume there was no lead in the rock when it first formed, but this is unprovable. Then, they assume that rocks are like locked vaults and that no uranium, lead, or the in between decay elements can ever enter or leave the rock.

The fact is, numerous scientific studies show all these assumptions are wrong. Studies have shown that commonly dated rock material can have lead in it as it crystallizes. Other studies have shown that lead, uranium and the other elements important for dating can be removed from the rock by simple weathering or other conditions.

In other words, while evolutionary scientists compare rocks to locked vaults, we are learning they are more like sponges. This explains why evolutionary dating methods have found, for example, one part of a rock to be 30 times older than another part of the same rock.

The next time you hear someone say that certain rocks or the fossils in them are millions or billions of years old, just remember that rocks are not like vaults. They are more like sponges that gain or lose elements, making accurate dating impossible. There is no good scientific evidence that the Earth is any older than the few thousand years indicated by the Bible.

2009 Christian Nature

But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory…1 Corinthians 2:7

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Learning From The Way Trees Grow

This morning I'm contemplating the trees. The flowing water and the jagged rocks are great, but the trees are teaching me something new and fresh this day. The Lord will use even the trees to speak to our hearts when we are open and hungry for more of Him!


What are the trees saying? First I just seemed to be noticing how many there are! Then I began to see the way they are growing straight up toward the sky no matter what their position is: on the side or the top of the mountain. It doesn't matter if they're planted on a level place or a steep, rock area - they have taken root and decidedly looked toward the heavens. And it occurs to me that even the trees know Who their Creator is and they look to Him for life. Their branches and new sprouts of leaves seem to reach out, reach up in praise and adoration of the Most High God.


Now I'm noticing how close they are to each other, yet they seem to get along so well! Some are so close together, almost hugging, sharing in the joy. These trees don't mind if one is greener, more yellow, orange or red (during autumn) or even prettier than the others. Some are taller and stronger than others. But they don't seem to notice. Altogether, as a whole, one big 'family' of trees on this mountain created by God, they represent beauty and majesty and praise to their Maker. He can design them any way He wants. And they accept it.


Now I don't think trees have feelings; but I do know that they are alive and they are doing what they were designed to do: work together, in obedience according to God's will, without complaint or rebellion. Does any of this sound familiar? See the parallel God was showing me of us, His children, and how we need to be in the Body of Christ (the forest).


Now I'm thinking of the saying 'you can't see the forest for the trees'. How can that relate to us as Christians? Well, if the forest represents the Body and we are the trees, then when the world looks at us, what do they see? They should be seeing one big, beautiful spectacular sight! A multi-colored array of people, with voices that carry the Word to them and hands lifted high in praise and adoration!


The world should see obedience and harmony in getting the job done. They should see acceptance of each other in the different areas of our lives at different times where God made some to be taller and stronger. He also made some to be 'shorter' (so to speak) in order to complete the work He has for them right where they are at that time in their lives. As we grow and 'sizes' change and 'looks' change we still need to be looking up, like the trees do, (Matthew 6:33) seeking His face, seeking His will, working to get the job done, running the race set before us, and there will be no time left over for petty arguments over doctrine, politics, and jealousies and enviies, gossiping or strife. There won't be time enough to let sin get in the way if we are truly working together to do and be what we were created for.


Sin is ugly, whether seen or unseen by us. So why should the world look at the Body of Christ and see ugliness? They shouldn't, which is why our instructions from Him include keeping the Body of Christ clean and without blemish (sin). It has to start with each individual living and abiding in Christ, with love and obedience in our hearts. The sin can't stay. It has to be gone!

Jesus did not put up with sin, neither did Paul. Are we imitators of Christ or are we not? If so, it is our job to put it out in order to heal the Body and save the soul of the one in sin (I Corinthians 5, Titus 3).

So, the beautiful trees were my classroom this morning.

Thank You, Lord, for these beautiful trees!

(c) 2007-2009 Christian Nature

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Live In The Moment Unless You're An Ant

How many times have we heard 'Yesterday's gone, tomorrow's not here yet, you have only today, so live in the moment.' Well, unless you're an ant, that is.

Ants have been around for thousands of years (and hated for the same length of time). Who hasn't aborted a restful picnic because of uninvited ants? And those living in the South are constantly trying to kill "fire ants" -- so named because their stings feel like fire. But evidently God finds value in them because in the Old Testament, written by Solomon and inspired by The Holy Spirit, they teach us a valuable lesson. And in this age of "live in the moment", the lesson seems to have been lost.

Not a day goes by that I am not confronted with an apathetic worker. Could be a grocery store, or a representative on the phone, or a so-called "manager" of some company I'm with whom I'm trying to conduct business. Employees steal from their employers by taking longer breaks, surfing on the net instead of working, or making non-business long distance calls on the company's dime.

And the attitudes of so many workers is, "Hey, lady, I'm doing you a favor by paying attention to you!" (I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to jerk these "workers" bald-headed. But I digress.)

What has happened to the work ethic I learned as a child and then taught to my own children? My parents grew up in the Great Depression, and they knew a thing or two about "storing up for the winter". They were grateful for any chance to work! Why, I had my first out-of-the-home jobs at age 13, washing dishes in the local cafe, and ironing in other people's homes for extra cash.

Seems we've entered "The Nanny State" with people expecting the government (meaning all of us taxpayers) to foot the bill for everything from rent to health care. It's been a while coming, and I've watched all the stages with great sadness. I've even heard people say, "If I have another kid, I'll get $300 more a month!"

Even worse, when I was working with a prison ministry, I heard prisoners say, "If I get out and do another crime, I'll be able to go to a better facility with private TV and even a computer."

I grieve for a society that has sunk into a "what's in it for me" mentality. A society that doesn't seem to be able to grasp the concept of working for their needs and storing up for later. It's as if they never think about tomorrow and all the possible circumstances that could arise. It's the "whatever generation" in full force.

I don't like ants, but I do respect them. Without someone standing over them, they work in concert with each other to earn their own way and store up for the season when it will be harder to work. Without accountability from someone else, they work hard to better themselves. I guess our new motto should be: Live in the moment unless you're an ant.

2009 Christian Nature

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.
Proverbs 6-8 NIV

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Who Is Worth More - Me or Ravens?

The price of everything – that’s gas, groceries, utilities and other essentials – is going up weekly. Sometimes I feel like asking, “Are You aware of this, God? What are you going to do about this situation?”

It was during one of these pessimistic periods that I thought of ravens. [I can’t explain it, so don’t ask.] I decided to run a concordance search on these less-than-beautiful birds and was surprised at all the references in both the Old and New Testaments.

The first story which I remembered from childhood was poor old Elijah. He was worse off, financially, than most of us are. The story is found in I Kings 17:

1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in , said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word."

2 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah:

3 "Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan.

4 You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there."

5 So he did what the LORD had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there.

6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.

(Then God sent him to the starving widow of Zarephath to be fed with a miraculous re-occurring supply of food for the widow, her son, and Elijah.)

Then, in Luke 12, Jesus was speaking to His disciples:

22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.

23 Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.

24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!

25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

Then the Psalmist (chapter 147) God’s love for the ravens is expressed:

7 Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving;make music to our God on the harp.

8 He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain
and makes grass grow on the hills.

9 He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.

OK! I feel properly rebuked for my worry! My goodness, if God caused the ravens to bring Elijah breakfast and supper every day for 3½ years, and then sent him to a starving widow with a starving child to supply his needs (and theirs), why in the world wouldn’t He care about me enough to provide in several of His creative ways? God is no respecter of persons, has no favorites, and is the best Parent one could ever hope for! Are Ravens worth more than I am to God? Absolutely not!

Even the calls of baby ravens are heard by Almighty God, according to the Psalmist! Oh, come on, girl – don’t you trust your Heavenly Father to supply your needs no matter how bad our economy gets? [Talking to myself again. Don’t eavesdrop!]

Jesus asked His disciples why, if they couldn’t do the relatively simple thing like adding a day to their lives [yeah, right!] by worrying, why on earth would they worry about anything else? I think He would ask me the same thing, and since I hear daily how stress and worry actually kill us, I would be embarrassed to answer.

Ethel Waters sang one of my favorite songs, and I still sing it in my mind at night as I lie in bed. (Although written by lyricist Civilla D. Martin and composer Charles H. Gabriel, the song is often credited as "Traditional". The copyright has expired and it is now public domain in the USA.)

Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Refrain

I sing because I’m happy,
I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Refrain

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Refrain

(alternative first verse)

Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows fall
Why should my heart be troubled, When all but hope is gone?
When Jesus is my fortress; My constant friend is He.
His eye is on the Sparrow, and I know He watches me.
His eye is on the Sparrow, and I know He watches me!

I know my struggle with worry is common to human beings all over the world. I hope you are encouraged by my biblical journey to hope. You, like I, are very valuable to God, and He didn’t teach you to swim just to let you drown now! He is not rubbing His chin, pacing, and thinking, “Boy, I never saw this one coming!”

In spite of how things look, God is still sovereign, still in control, and still God Almighty!

(c) 2007-2009 Christian Nature

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